1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a process for the continuous winding of a web of material, e.g., a paper or cardboard web, onto a reel spool to form a reel (or wound roll) and a winding machine for the continuous winding of a web of material, e.g., a paper or cardboard web, onto a reel spool to form a reel.
2. Discussion of Background Information
Processes and winding machines of the type discussed here are used in conjunction with a machine for the production or processing of a web of material, e.g., a paper or cardboard web. German Application No. DE 197 35 590.0 discloses a process and a winding machine, in which the web of material is guided over a peripheral zone of a reel drum, which forms a winding nip (or gap) with a reel. In the wind-up phase, the increasing diameter of the reel (or wound roll) is compensated for by a relative movement of the reel with respect to the reel drum, and the linear force in the winding nip is controlled by displacement of the reel drum. In preparation for a reel spool change, a new reel spool for winding a new reel is introduced into a primary zone above the reel drum, where a winding nip is formed between the new drum and the reel drum by a relative movement between the reel drum and the new reel spool. The web of material is cut and its free end is wound onto the new reel spool. The new reel spool is transferred with the newly created reel over a peripheral zone of the reel drum into a lower secondary zone. During winding in the primary zone and during the transfer, compensation for the increasing reel diameter and control of the linear force in the winding nip is effected by displacement of the reel drum. During the remainder of the winding process, i.e., when the reel is positioned in the second zone, growth of the diameter of the reel is compensated for by a relative movement of the reel with respect to the reel drum along a guide path, and the linear force in the winding nip is controlled by displacement of the reel drum. It has been demonstrated that adjustment of the linear force during winding in the primary zone is not possible with adequate sensitivity in all cases, which has a disadvantageous effect on winding quality.
Further, German Application No. DE 35 39 980 discloses a winding machine in which the winder reel spool is permanently stationarily mounted. This stationary mounting of the winder reel spool results in the disadvantage that the linear force in the winding nip between the winder reel spool and the reel located in the secondary zone cannot be controlled or regulated with adequate sensitivity, i.e., due to the very high weight of the reel to be moved under certain circumstances. It is noted that there is often a requirement to produce reels having extremely large diameters, e.g., on the order of 3 to 4 meters.